Jerry Springer is best known for his eponymous talk show, but his broadcasting career began when he was still a college student.

Springer cut his teeth with a radio show while enrolled at Tulane University. He went on to become a political reporter and commentator on Cincinnati’s NBC affiliate, WLWT.

The journalist was also a politician and was elected to the Cincinnati City Council in 1971. He resigned in 1974 after he admitted to soliciting a sex worker. The scandal, however, did not mark the end of his political career.

Springer won back his council seat in 1975 after honestly addressing his past. He opened up about the controversy again in a television advertisement for his 1982 Ohio gubernatorial run.

Although he didn’t win the election, Springer went on to achieve massive success with his daytime talk show, which ran from 1991 to 2018. Originally created to mimic the format of The Phil Donahue Show, Jerry Springer was later revamped to feature everyday people dealing with controversial issues. Arguments between guests would often result in physical fights.

During a November 2022 appearance on David Yontef’s “Behind the Velvet Rope” podcast, Springer apologized for how the program affected the entertainment and societal landscape.

“I just apologize. I’m so sorry. What have I done? I’ve ruined the culture,” he said, before quipping, “I just hope hell isn’t that hot, because I burn real easy. I’m very light-complected.”

Springer died at age 79 in April 2023, more than four years after the talk show’s last episode aired. His death came after a struggle with a brief illness. The former Mayor is survived by his daughter, Katie Springer, whom he shared with wife Micki Velton, and his grandson, Richard.

Keep scrolling for a look at Springer’s life over the years:

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As Sean “Diddy” Combs awaits trial on federal sex trafficking charges, several members of his inner circle are speaking out about his alleged crimes.

In a trailer for the upcoming Peacock documentary Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy, musician and record producer Al B. Sure! — who was Diddy’s Uptown Records label mate and dated Kim Porter before she married Diddy, 55, in 1994 — is among those to speak about his observations of the rapper over the years.

“Something is not right with this,” Al B Sure!, 56, says in the clip, which Peacock dropped on Thursday, January 2.

The trailer also teases interviews with Diddy’s friend, bodyguard, makeup artist, producer and intern and features an interview with an anonymous individual whose voice has been altered to hide their identity.

Singer Al B. Sure! Wants Death of Diddy’s Ex Kim Porter to Be Investigated

“I’ve been with Sean for quite a while, and I’ve captured a lot of moments. Anytime a studio or any room is [lit with] red [lighting], he’s making love and sex,” the individual says. “Some of the girls who were in the room, for sure they were underage.”

Attorney Lisa Bloom, who is representing Vanity Kane’s Dawn Richards in a civil sexual assault lawsuit against Diddy, calls the music mogul a “monster” in the trailer, while an unidentified woman recalls being told, “They could ship me off and sell me to anyone.”

The trailer also features footage of Diddy saying, “I can show y’all how we have fun and stay out of jail, too.”

Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy premieres on Peacock Tuesday, January 14. A synopsis for the film calls it “a raw, exclusive look at Sean Combs long before he was known as Puff or Diddy.”

Danity Kane's Dawn Richard Reacts to Diddy’s Arrest and Indictment

The doc features “never-before-seen footage and stories from those who know [Diddy] best,” exploring his “childhood, rise to fame and recent criminal allegations.”

Diddy was arrested in September 2024 on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. He denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the charges. After being denied bail several times, Diddy dropped his latest request in December 2024. He will remain behind bars until his trial begins in May.

Federal judge Arun Subramanian wrote in the latest bail denial ruling that “no condition or combination of conditions will reasonably assure the safety of the community,” should Diddy’s request be granted.

Celebrities React to Diddy’s Arrest and Indictment: 50 Cent and More

Diddy’s next court appearance is scheduled for March 17. Last month, a source exclusively told Us that Diddy is “trying to stay positive” while behind bars.

“He’s been lining up character witnesses and people who can speak for his side,” the insider said. “This is the toughest time of Diddy’s life, but he’s not giving up on himself.”

Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy premieres on Peacock Tuesday, January 14.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

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Chynna Phillips is sharing an update on her and husband Billy Baldwin’s living arrangement.

After sharing in a November 2024 YouTube video that she and Baldwin, 61, were living in separate homes due to having “an allergy to each other,” Phillips, 56, is walking back that decision.

“Billy called me earlier and he was like, ‘I just read another article about how you want to be married living apart,’” she said in a video uploaded to her YouTube channel on Sunday, December 29. “I just want to clarify: at that time I felt like I needed a little bit of space and really felt like that would be the most logical answer, but I have reneged. I am retracting that comment, and I am now saying that is probably a very foolish, very unwise, very destructive, stupid decision, because that’s not going to solve our problem with the allergy.”

Billy Baldwin and Chynna Phillips’ Marriage, Relationship Ups and Downs

Phillips, who has been married to Baldwin since 1995, joked that the pair have “been taking really good allergy medication” to cope with their “allergy” to one another.

“That allergy medication is communication. It’s being kind and gentle … and being more playful,” she explained. “I need more playfulness in my life, and I feel like Billy sometimes struggles with playfulness, but you know what? He’s not me, and I have to grow up and I have to realize that just because Billy is not always as playful as I consider myself to be, that is not something that I need to come down on him for.”

Despite accepting his more serious nature, Phillips acknowledged that Baldwin has been “laughing more” and “playing more” lately, and she’s felt “a shift” in their relationship.

Chynna Phillips Says She Walks 'On Eggshells' in Billy Baldwin Marriage

“He’s been an awesome roommate these past few weeks,” she said. “I feel like we’re in a way, way better place.”

Phillips also praised her husband’s physical appearance, calling him “so sexy” and a “silver fox.”

Baldwin made an appearance in Phillips’ November 2024 YouTube video when she announced their decision to live in separate homes.

“We enjoy each other’s company. That’s what is so hard to articulate to people: that we’re madly in love, we really enjoy being around one another, we cherish our marriage, we don’t ever want to separate,” she said during a FaceTime call with the actor. “We just need a little bit of time apart, because we are sort of an allergy to one another. And it’s OK, I’m sure lots of different couples are allergies to each other.”

Chynna Phillips Says She and Billy Baldwin 'Separated for 6 Months'

Baldwin chimed in to say, “The reality is you have the allergy,” joking that he has “a certain energy” that irritates his wife.

Phillips and Baldwin share daughters Jameson, 24, and Brooke, 20, and son Vance, 24. Phillips previously filed for divorce in 2010 but quickly withdrew the papers. She exclusively told Us Weekly at the time that she’d “started to feel a little flatlined” in her marriage.

“It became so about the children and so about my business, his business, and I missed him. I really missed him,” she explained. “I missed laughing together, taking our little vacations together.”

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Kylie Kelce is opening up about past insecurities regarding her tall stature.

“I personally have struggled with [my height] in my life — no longer really do, because I’ve come to the point of really not giving a f— — but I am [five-foot-11]. I’ve always been taller than most guys,” Kelce, 32, said during the Thursday, January 2, episode of her “Not Gonna Lie” podcast.

Kylie noted that she feels “normal-sized” around six-foot-three husband Jason Kelce and his “fellow offensive linemen” and around her dad, who is six-foot-nine. However, she didn’t feel quite so inconspicuous as a tall high-schooler.

Pregnant Kylie Kelce Jokes About Denying Rumors Ahead of 4th Baby News

“I’m pretty sure I was already [five-foot-ten] as a freshman, and let me tell you, the boys were not,” she told guest Drew Afualo. “I got ruthlessly bullied by a couple people. … One of the worst of them was a guy, whose insult was always like, ‘You’re huge, you’re a man.’ And it took me until probably my senior year to be like, ‘Aw, you’re mad that you’re not my size.’”

While discussing Afualo’s preference for body neutrality over body positivity — which entails feeling gratitude for one’s body without seeing its features as either good or bad — Kylie noted that she has come to accept her height and no longer sees past comments as insults.

“You’re gonna look at me and be like, ‘You’re huge.’ Yeah, I f—ing am,” Kylie said. “There was a period of time where I was like, ‘Don’t call me big.’ I would be like, ‘I’m not big, I’m tall,’ or, ‘My thighs aren’t big, I’m strong.’ There was this whole idea that I had to switch the narrative of — not letting those words hold the weight that they expected them to hold with me.”

Everything Jason Kelce and Pregnant Wife Kylie Have Said About Parenting

Kylie is currently pregnant with her and Jason’s fourth baby girl. She announced the news via Instagram in November.

“I feel like we captured a very accurate representation of how each of the girls feel about getting another sister,” she wrote via Instagram alongside a photo of her and Jason’s three older girls. “At least Ellie, mom and dad are on the same page! .”

In the snap, Jason and Kylie’s youngest daughter, Bennett, 22 months, cried while Wyatt, 5, held her hands over her ears in shock. Four-year-old Elliotte, nicknamed “Ellie,” smiled from ear to ear.

As Kylie prepares to become a mom of four, she’s reluctantly accepting the fact that she’s going to have to get a minivan.

Kylie Kelce Reacts to Fan Saying Her Kids 'Look Exactly' Like Husband Jason

“As much as it pains me to say, minivans [are in for 2025],” she said during Thursday’s “Not Gonna Lie” episode. “I said what I said. And for the people, my friends, who are hearing this, I don’t need a wellness check, although I have told you before that that is what it would take if I ever said I was getting a minivan.”

Kylie added that the vehicle will be a temporary addition to her life.

“I’m about to have four car seats, four in one car, and we’re gonna do a little three-year commitment, guys,” she vowed. “We’re gonna grind it out, and then we’re gonna pretend it never happened. … And for those of you who are minivan lovers, like my husband, and think that I’m gonna get a minivan and then I’m gonna stick with the minivan, well, we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Big Brother alum Derek Frazier was on a mission to lose weight in 2024, and now he’s sharing his impressive results.

“Call it a comeback. To everyone who said ‘no,’ ‘too fat,’ or ‘you’ll never be picked again’ — thanks for the fuel,” Frazier, 33, captioned a Monday, December 30, TikTok video that showed him lifting a barbell before and after his weight loss transformation. “That’s a total of 71 pounds lost in just 10 months. And trust me, I’m just getting started.”

Frazier paired the clip with audio from Kanye West’s acceptance speech for Rap Album of the Year at the 47th annual Grammy Awards.

“Everybody want to know what I would do if I didn’t win,” West, 47, said at the 2005 awards show. “I guess we’ll never know.”

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Frazier’s fellow Big Brother 23 alum Britini D’Angelo was among those to react to his slimmed-down physique.

“SO SO PROUD OF YOU! YOU INSPIRE ME!!” D’Angelo, 27, wrote in the comments section.

D’Angelo, who was close friends with Frazier during their 2021 season of Big Brother, has also been on a weight loss journey this past year. She shared an Instagram video on Sunday, December 29, documenting her 2024 workout journey and revealing that she’d lost 37 pounds.

“At the beginning of 2024, I made a commitment to take better care of myself. Coming into this year, I was eating extremely unhealthy, wasn’t working out consistently, and I just wasn’t feeling great. I knew I could feel better, so thus, our journey began,” she wrote in the caption. “This isn’t the end of the journey, but yet, just the beginning. I want to bring what I’ve learned about myself into 2025 and become even stronger.”

Reality TV Stars' Weight Loss Transformations: Before and After Photos 

Frazier showed his support for D’Angelo in the comments.

“Going through a fitness journey is not just tough physically. It’s tough mentally and you are doing such a great job. I’m so proud of you and such an inspiration,” he wrote, adding in another comment, “You look amazing. I’m so proud of you.!!!!!!.”

Frazier hinted at his own mental journey with weight loss in a Tuesday, December 31, TikTok video caption.

“Over the past 10 months, I faced my trauma — both physically and mentally — and conquered my fears,” he wrote alongside a video montage of himself. “Find what motivates you, grab it, and RUN with it.”

Frazier has previously stated his belief that his weight has held him back from reality TV opportunities. While several Big Brother alums have joined The Challenge franchise in recent years — including BB23’s Xavier Prather, Derek Xiao, Kyland Young, Azah Awasum, Tiffany Mitchell and Alyssa Lopez — Frazier has not been cast, despite placing second on BB23 and being a member of the legendary Cookout alliance.

Celebs Who Lost Weight on ‘DWTS’: Before and After Pics

In a since-deleted February 2023 tweet, Frazier speculated that he hadn’t been included due to his size.

“At this point, I haven’t spoke my mind in a while but ready between the lines. If I am not on the upcoming seasons of a ‘competition show’ just know it’s because I am a big guy,” he wrote via X at the time. “There is no other reason. It’s sad because nothing has changed in this reality TV world.”

Frazier’s recent TikTok caption — which took aim at haters who called him “too fat” to ever “be picked again” — seemed to shut down assumptions about his ability to perform on a reality competition show.

Kourtney Kardashian and husband Travis Barker rang in 2025 with a sweet smooch.

Kardashian, 45, posted an Instagram Story snap of herself and Barker, 49, sharing a passionate kiss on Wednesday, January 1. She held her husband’s face in her hands during the lip lock. Barker also reposted the photo via his own Story.

Kardashian and Barker, who tied the knot in 2022, have been known to pack on the PDA since they started dating in 2021. During a July episode of The Kardashians, the couple touched their tongues together before sharing a kiss.

Elsewhere during season 5 of the Hulu reality series, Kardashian explained to her mom, Kris Jenner, that she was “not ready” to go into labor with her and Barker’s son, Rocky, who was born in November 2023, because she wanted to have sex one more time.

Kourtney Kardashian Shares Tribute to Travis Barker on Father’s Day

“My husband is on a plane coming home. I need to have sex,” she shared. “Because then you can’t have sex for six weeks after [giving birth].”

In addition to Rocky, Kardashian shares sons Mason, 15, and Reign, 10, and daughter Penelope, 12, with ex Scott Disick, while Barker shares son Landon, 21, and daughter Alabama, 19, with ex-wife Shanna Moakler. Kardashian said during an October appearance on Dear Media’s “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast that she and Barker “try to be respectful” when it comes to being mushy around their kids.

“[We] want everyone to feel comfortable,” she said. “But, yeah, sometimes we’ll be hugging or just, like, staring into each other’s eyes and the kids will be like, ‘Ew, gross!’ Even the older kids. But I think also they love that we love each other.”

Kourtney Kardashian Celebrates ‘Love of My Life’ Travis Barker’s Birthday

While Kardashian noted that she and Barker feel like the “timing” of their love story “was perfect,” she admitted that they sometimes wish they’d gotten together sooner. (The pair were friends for years before becoming romantically involved.)

“We’re like, ‘Oh, we could have had, you know, this many more years together and been doing all these things for so long,’” she shared.

Kardashian and Barker hung out in group settings with their respective kids before the Blink-182 drummer started asking Kardashian to spend time together one-on-one. She was hesitant to accept his invitations at first.

Travis Barker Teases When He and Kourtney Kardashian ‘Made’ Son Rocky 

“I think I was afraid of anything that could be real. And he was real,” Kardashian explained to “Not Skinny But Not Fat” host Amanda Hirsch. “He would ask me to go to the movies. … I could never go. … And [my therapist] was like, ‘Why? You know, he sounds like a good dad.’ And I just was like, ‘But what if he tried to kiss me or what if he held my hand?’ … I had my guard up for so many years.”

Now that Kardashian and Barker are together, she’s in it for the long haul.

“I’ve been married once, and I plan to be married for my whole life,” Kardashian said.

The Yellowstone prequel 1923 is returning for another chapter.

The spinoff series first premiered in December 2022. The series is a sequel to Yellowstone’s first prequel, 1883, and stars Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford as Cara and Jacob Dutton, ancestors of Kevin Costner’s Yellowstone character, John Dutton III. Season 1 followed the Dutton clan as they navigated challenges including a historic drought and Prohibition.

A premiere date for season 2 of the western drama was announced in December 2024. Keep scrolling for everything to know about the upcoming installment.

Who Is in the Season 2 Cast of ‘1923’?

Ford and Mirren will both return to reprise their roles. They will be joined by fellow season 1 cast members Brandon Sklenar (Spencer Dutton), Julia Schlaepfer (Alexandra), Jerome Flynn (Banner Creighton), Darren Mann (Jack Dutton), Brian Geraghty (Zane Davis), Aminah Nieves (Teonna Rainwater), Michelle Randolph (Liz Stratford) and Timothy Dalton (Donald Whitfield).

A Guide to 'Yellowstone' and Its Many Spinoffs

Dexter alum Jennifer Carpenter will also join the cast as U.S. Deputy Marshall Mamie Fossett.

What Is Season 2 of ‘1923’ About?

Season 2 of the Paramount+ original series will follow the Duttons as they face a new set of obstacles.

“In the second season of 1923, a cruel winter brings new challenges and unfinished business to Jacob and Cara back at Dutton ranch,” an official synopsis reads. “With harsh conditions and adversaries threatening to end the Dutton legacy, Spencer embarks on an arduous journey home, racing against time to save his family in Montana. Meanwhile, Alexandra sets off on her own harrowing trans-Atlantic journey to find Spencer and reclaim their love.”

1923 creator Taylor Sheridan described season 2 as “really the second half of the [first] season” during a December 2022 interview with Deadline.

Brandon Sklenar Teases What Will Happen to Spencer in Final Season of ‘1923’

“I’m the one that made the call to the network, which is probably the greatest call they ever got. ‘Hey, I need to make more episodes to finish this story. I need to do this in two blocks. An eight-episode block and a second eight-episode block to wrap this up. I can’t wrap it up in two episodes and do the story justice,’” Sheridan explained.

Sheridan added that Ford and Mirren were “excited” and “eager” to do a second season.

“Harrison made a comment at one point, he goes, ‘Taylor I think I’m making the best thing I’ve made in 20 years. And my response to him was, ‘What the f— did you make 20 years ago as good as this?’”

Yellowstone’s Spinoff ‘1883: The Bass Reeves Story’ Gets New Cast Members

Is There a Trailer for Season 2 of ‘1923’?

Yes, Paramount+ released a teaser for the upcoming installment in December 2024. The trailer shows the Duttons fighting to defend their family ranch.

“In Montana, there’s a war over my family’s land, and they’re losing it,” Spencer says before declaring his intention to travel back home from Africa to help. “I know what to do. I’m coming home.”

When Does Season 2 of ‘1923’ Premiere?

Season 2 of 1923 will premiere on Paramount+ Sunday, February 23. New episodes will air each Sunday. Season 1 is currently available on the streaming platform.

Lisa Rinna is celebrating the new year in her birthday suit.

Rinna, 61, took to her Instagram Story on Tuesday, December 31, to share a bold New Year’s Eve selfie.

“Out with the Old in with the New!” she captioned a photo of herself posing in front of a mirror and massage bed completely naked. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum covered herself only with two star emojis and a 2025 fireworks sticker.

This is not the first time that Rinna has shared NSFW selfies. She kicked off 2024 with a nearly identical image, only with longer hair, firework gifs over her breasts and a dancing kitten by her private parts.

Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rinna Make Rare Public Appearance With His Son Dimitri

“HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2024. STARTING IT OFF FRESH ,” she captioned the January snap.

Rinna previously shared the same photo via her Instagram Story in July 2023, along with advice from Catherine O’Hara’s Schitt’s Creek character, Moira Rose.

“Moira Rose says you should take as many naked pics of yourself while you still can celebrate it. Ok Moira,” Rinna wrote alongside the steamy selfie.

Meanwhile, Rinna’s husband, Harry Hamlin, shared a less revealing New Year’s Eve post in anticipation of 2025. In a video shared via Instagram on Tuesday, he teased a new flavor of his pasta sauce line, Harry’s Famous Sauces.

Lisa Rinna Calls Daughter Amelia's Daily Front Row Honor 'Mind Blowing'

“I just wanted to say Happy New Year and also let you know that we got a little something special coming out in the New Year,” Hamlin, 73, said, sharing a glimpse of the new sauce jar.

Hamlin and Rinna’s daughter Amelia, 23, reposted the video via her Instagram Story, writing, “Awwww daddddd .”

Hamlin also shares daughter Delilah, 26, with Rinna, and son Dimitri, 44, with ex Ursula Andress. Rinna shared a video of herself, Hamlin and their two daughters celebrating Christmas together on Thursday, December 26.

“MERRY CHRISTMAS From our FAM TO YOURS!,” she captioned the clip of the family dressed in matching leopard print Santa hats and Christmas pajamas.

Hamlin Family Drama Over the Years: Health Issues, Social Media Shade and More

Hamlin and Rinna’s partnership seems to be written in the stars based on something strange that happened on their first date.

“The waiter comes up to our table to give us our menus and says, ‘You two are going to get married and have children. You’re soulmates, and you’re going to have a great life
together,’” Hamlin exclusively recalled to Us Weekly in February. “At this point, Lisa and I didn’t know each other at all.”

Rinna chimed in, “We were so uncomfortable.”

The waiter’s words proved true, as the pair tied the knot in 1997 and have been going strong ever since.

“It comes down to listening and being respectful and supportive,” Hamlin told Us of their successful marriage. “Lisa is Lisa, and that in and of itself is kind of a challenge, which is why I don’t follow [her] on social media.”

Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk is explaining why cisgender actor Park Sung-hoon was cast as transgender character Hyun-ju in season 2.

Hwang, 53, who also wrote and directed both seasons, knew that some fans would expect to see a transgender woman play Hyun-ju, a former special forces officer who enters the South Korean series’ deadly competition to win money for gender-affirming surgery.

“I did anticipate such discussions to arise from the first moment I began creating the character Hyun-ju,” Hwang told TVGuide earlier this month. “In the beginning, we were doing our research, and I was thinking of doing an authentic casting of a trans actor.”

Hwang soon found, however, that there were “close to no actors that are openly trans” in South Korea.

Hunter Schafer No Longer Wants to Play Transgender Roles After ‘Euphoria’

“Unfortunately, in the Korean society currently, the LGBTQ community is rather still marginalized and more neglected, which is heartbreaking,” he explained.

After determining that it would be “near impossible to find someone who we could cast authentically” as a trans woman, the Squid Game team settled on Park, 39.

“I have watched his work ever since his debut, and I had complete trust in him that he would be the right person in terms of talent in portraying this character,” Hwang said of Park.

The director’s decision to include a transgender character in season 2 is consistent with the message of season 1, which premiered on Netflix in 2021.

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“I saw the people who come to join the games in Squid Game as people who are usually marginalized or neglected from society, and not just financially speaking,” Hwang told Decider on Friday, December 27. “Today, unfortunately, in Korean society, the gender minority is a group that is not as accepted widely within society, which is why I created the character Hyun-ju as a male to female transgender woman.”

Transgender actors playing transgender roles is a relatively new development even in the United States, but trans activists argue that casting cis actors in trans roles perpetuates the harmful belief that trans people are simply putting on a costume. Annette Bening, whose son Stephen Ira Beatty is transgender, explained the concept during a 2020 interview with The Telegraph.

“The important thing that I’ve really begun to understand about that issue is that sometimes people see trans people as [putting on] a sort of performance,” Bening, 66, said. “But in fact that’s a mistake, it’s a misunderstanding.”

Despite facing some criticism for Park’s casting, Hwang is hopeful that the character of Hyun-ju will be a net positive.

“By creating a character much like Hyun-ju and through her choices, her actions, and the way she carries herself in the game, I hope that that could raise awareness of these issues that we face today,” he told Decider.

Season 2 of Squid Game hit Netflix on Friday, December 26. The dystopian thriller series follows the participants of a life-or-death game as they compete to win billions of dollars.

Teddi Mellencamp had an alleged affair with her horse trainer, Simon Schroeder, months before separating from husband Edwin Arroyave — and now Simon’s wife, Karli Shroeder, is filing for divorce, Us Weekly can confirm.

Karli filed divorce paperwork in Los Angeles County on Monday, December 30, citing irreconcilable differences. In court documents obtained by Us, Karli listed the pair’s date of marriage as April 14, 2024, and date of separation as September 22, 2024.

Although Karli and Simon’s latest marriage lasted only five months, Us confirmed that the pair previously had another marriage annulled in Ventura County. The annulment was finalized in February, and Karli and Simon tied the knot again less than two months later.

Teddi Mellencamp Got to Know Simon Schroeder’s Wife Karli Before Affair

The former couple share daughter Lena, 3, and son Henry, 7 months. Karli is seeking primary physical custody of the two children and joint legal custody with Simon. She is also seeking spousal support from Simon and requesting that he pay her attorney fees. Us has reached out to Simon for comment.

Us reported on Simon’s alleged affair with Mellencamp, 43, in November, shortly after Mellencamp announced her decision to file for divorce.

“Simon and Teddi had a thing several months ago, but it’s not still happening,” a source exclusively told Us at the time, noting that Mellencamp and Arroyave, 47, were both unfaithful to each other during their marriage. “Teddi and Edwin had been working on the problems of their marriage, despite his past indiscretions. They stayed in the marriage for the sake of the kids.”

A second insider claimed that Arroyave spoke with Karli, who “confirmed the affair.” The source noted that Arroyave was “unfaithful” to Mellencamp eight years ago but “insists he has not had an affair since.”

Teddi Mellencamp Looks Forlorn Saying Goodbye to Husband After Split

The first source, meanwhile, said Mellencamp and Arroyave “are both to blame” for the problems in their marriage.

“Teddi isn’t excusing her behavior, but this was the first and only time she strayed outside of the marriage and says there’s two sides to the story,” the insider shared.

Mellencamp seemingly addressed her infidelity via Instagram last month.

“The only person who can change your life is you. We have 2 options, pretend to be a victim or stand up and fight for yourself. We all deserve peace and happiness,” she wrote at the time. “I have cried and mourned. I have taken accountability and apologized for things I have done wrong. Now, I have given myself permission to grow and thrive. There are 3 sides to every story. How can I stand up and show up for the people that do matter? This is called being an adult. This is what saying with my full chest means.”

Mellencamp and Arroyave tied the knot in 2011 and share three children: daughters Slate, 12, and Dove, 4, and son Cruz, 10. Mellencamp is also stepmother to Isabella, 15, Arroyave’s daughter from a previous marriage.

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Craig Conover and Paige DeSorbo split after three years of dating, but how did they go from contemplating an engagement to calling it quits?

“Craig was ready for the next steps and had plans to propose to Paige. He was really pushing for the next steps and wanted to settle down with her,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly, noting that living in different cities — DeSorbo, 32, lives in New York City while Conover, 35, resides in Charleston, South Carolina — made things difficult for the pair.

“Paige does not want to move to Charleston, and logistically it was never going to work out long term,” the insider explains. “Many of their friends are not shocked at all, but everyone is sad for them.”

Craig Conover Hinted at Marrying Paige DeSorbo 2 Months Before Breakup

Despite the challenges of living apart, Conover felt confident about their future as a couple while speaking exclusively to Us in October.

“I mean, we’re going to get married one day,” the Southern Charm star said at the time. “But she’s a really career-driven person and she’s doing great. And I’ve got the business that’s kind of flying right now, so we’re making the best of ourselves before coming together as a team officially.”

Conover added that he and DeSorbo’s dynamic required patience.

“We spend as much time as we can together and we’re patient with each other,” he told Us. “But we’re in a great place, and fortunately, New York and Charleston are two awesome places to spend time. We just got to put the work in.”

Paige DeSorbo Denies Bravo Told Her When to Announce Craig Conover Split

Conover and DeSorbo have been long-distance for the entirety of their relationship. The duo got to know each other while filming season 1 of Winter House in 2021. They confirmed their romance that September while attending the wedding of their Summer House costars Kyle Cooke and Amanda Batula. While the exes are “on good terms,” the source shares that their “relationship ending was long overdue.”

“They had been having conversations about their future for months,” the insider says. “They were hopeful to get through the holidays, but Paige felt a lot of pressure. It had been rocky between them for months. Paige wanted to announce it because fans would notice them not being together for New Years.”

DeSorbo announced the breakup during the Monday, December 30, episode of her and Hannah Berner’s “Giggly Squad” podcast.

“Craig and I have decided to no longer be together,” she said. “I love him, I think he loves me. I think we will remain friends. No one did anything. It wasn’t a bad thing.”

Paige DeSorbo and Craig Conover’s Relationship Timeline

DeSorbo added that breaking up was “the right decision for both of us” despite thinking Conover is “one of the best people I’ve met in my entire life.”

The source says that although DeSorbo and Conover’s split was “very cordial,” the duo are both “very sad” about it.

“Paige initiated the conversation, but they both agreed it wasn’t going to work. Craig was really emotional,” the insider shares. “There is still a lot of love between them, but they just weren’t on the same page.”

50 Cent promised fans surprises at his Las Vegas residency, and he delivered big time during the third show of his six-night run at PH Live in the Planet Hollywood hotel.

Midway through the set, after tearing through crowd favorites like “21 Questions” and “Many Men (Wish Death),” 50 Cent, 49, teased, “I told y’all I got surprises tonight. You ain’t ready for this one.”

An onlooker tells Us of the Monday, December 30, show, “The energy in the room was electric as the packed crowd eagerly anticipated what — or who —might be next. Cue the lights dimming and the opening notes of T-Pain’s ‘Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’).’”

The concertgoer notes that “the crowd erupted” as T-Pain, 40, took the stage.

50 Cent Will Ring in New Year With 1st Las Vegas Residency

“T-Pain’s powerhouse performance of his classics — including ‘I’m Sprung’ and ‘Bartender’ — turned the concert into a full-blown party,” the onlooker says.

Fans sang along as T-Pain and 50 Cent performed a surprise mashup of “Can’t Believe It” and “Best Friend,” to the audience’s delight. Just when the crowd thought they’d seen it all, 50 Cent upped the ante.

“Hold up, we ain’t done yet!” he shouted. The arena went wild as DaBaby stormed the stage, delivering a fiery performance of his hits “Suge” and “Rockstar.” 50 Cent and DaBaby, 33, then joined forces for a dynamic rendition of “Ball If I Want To,” cementing the night as one to remember.

The surprises didn’t stop there. To close out the show, Jeremih appeared on stage to perform “Down on Me” with 50 Cent, reigniting memories of their chart-topping collaboration. Jeremih, 37, kept the vibe alive with a soulful medley of his solo hits, including “Birthday Sex” and “Don’t Tell ‘Em.”

50 Cent Delivers Surprise Performance at Poppi's Star-Studded NYFW Event

By the end of the night, fans were left buzzing about the surprise guests and 50 Cent’s ability to keep them guessing.

“This is Vegas — you gotta go big or go home,” the rapper quipped as he closed the show.

In addition to the star-studded cameos, there were also celebs in the audience. Boy Meets World alum Danielle Fishel was in attendance and asked to meet 50 Cent backstage.

With three more performances to go — 50 Cent is slated to take the stage on December 31, January 3 and January 4 — fans can only speculate what surprises the final concerts might hold. If Monday’s show was any indication, 50 Cent’s residency is destined to leave an indelible mark on the Las Vegas Strip.

Kristin Cavallari is revealing more details about her past beef with Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick.

Cavallari, 37, shared during the Monday, December 30, episode of Bunnie XO’s “Dumb Blonde” podcast that the drama went down when she was “21 or 22” while she was in the “same group of friends” as Disick, 41.

“Scott and Kourtney started dating, that’s how I met Kourtney. I f—ing loved Kourtney,” Cavallari said. “We were really good friends.”

Things took a turn when Cavallari went to Las Vegas with “a bunch of guy friends” — including Disick — shortly after Kardashian, 45, and Disick split for the first time in 2008.

Scott Disick's Ups and Downs Through the Years

“We all went out, we had a good time, I was never even alone with Scott,” Cavallari recalled, noting that she and Disick were never more than friends. “The next morning, it was on Page Six or something that Scott and I had hooked up.”

Cavallari claimed that a friend of hers “knew for a fact” that Disick had planted the story “to try to make Kourtney jealous.” It worked, and caused a rift between her and Kardashian.

“Kourtney was really upset about it,” Cavallari said, noting that she tried to tell Kardashian the story wasn’t true. “She was like, ‘Well, I don’t know, I just know I have sisters and I would never put myself in that situation.’” Us Weekly has reached out to Disick for comment.

Kardashian and Disick later got back together — they welcomed sons Mason, 15, and Reign, 10, and daughter Penelope, 12, together before calling it quits for good in 2015 — but Cavallari “stopped talking” to the pair.

It Got Physical! Kim and Kourtney's Ups and Downs Over the Years

“Scott must’ve said it was true,” Cavallari said, pointing out that Kardashian would’ve forgiven her if Disick had come clean about the situation. She then expressed frustration with the Kardashian clan’s unwillingness to clear up rumors.

“All it would take is one of the Kardashians to be like, ‘That’s not true,’ for it to go away, but they wouldn’t do that,” she said. “That’s the part that pisses me off is I think they have no regard for anyone else other than themselves.”

Bunnie, 44, chimed in to say that members of the famous family “don’t really defend themselves either,” and Cavallari agreed.

“They’re in the camp of all press is good press,” Cavallari said.

More than a decade after their bad blood, the Hills alum has no interest in reconnecting with Disick. During a November episode of her “Let’s Be Honest” podcast, she read aloud an Instagram DM she allegedly received from Disick.

Scott Disick's Feelings About Kourtney Kardashian's Relationship With Travis Barker

“It’s been such a long time. It’s kind of crazy that our lives also ended up being kind of similar,” the alleged message read. “I feel like it would be so good to see you and catch up and just talk about the stress and all the different things you got to go through with kids and changing your life around over and over. Really miss you though and wish I would have reached out earlier.”

Cavallari was unimpressed by the gesture, saying, “Scott, you miss me after 17 years? … If this is not the most manipulative text I’ve ever gotten, well, then I don’t know what is.”

On Monday, Cavallari reiterated that she found the timing of the message “calculated,” saying it came after she began “talking s—“ about the Kardashians on her podcast.

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Billy Bob Thornton has been married six times, but he once stated his intention to stop at five wedding ceremonies.

During a 2008 interview with Maxim, the Oscar winner said that he would “probably not” tie the knot again, noting that he thought it would be best for his then-girlfriend Connie Angland.

“I told Connie I didn’t want to put her through that. We do fine. We’ve been together for four years now. We have a child together,” Thornton said at the time. “If we get married, then the press will start calling her, ‘No. 6.’”

Despite his reservations, Thornton married Angland in 2014, and they’ve been together since. The couple share daughter Bella, whom they welcomed in 2004.

Angelina Jolie’s Dating History: Brad Pitt, Billy Bob Thornton and More

Prior to settling down with Angland, Thornton had relationships with A-listers including Angelina Jolie and Laura Dern. Keep scrolling for a look at his dating history:

Melissa Lee Gatlin

The actor was married to Gatlin from 1978 to 1980. In 1979, they welcomed daughter Amanda, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2008 for the death of her friend’s one-year-old-daughter. The Innocence Project of Florida began representing Amanda in 2015, claiming that the child’s death was entirely accidental. She was released from prison in 2020 after serving 8 and a half years.

Toni Lawrence

Thornton married Lawrence in 1986, but their union was short-lived; the pair separated in 1997 and divorced in 1998.

Cynda Williams

Thornton married Williams in 1990 after meeting her on the set of his writing debut One False Move. They divorced before the film’s release in May 1992.

Celebrities Who Have Been Married Three Times or More

Pietra Dawn Cherniak

Thornton and the former Playboy model tied the knot in 1993 and welcomed sons William and Harry in 1993 and 1994, respectively. They divorced in 1997.

Laura Dern

On the heels of his fourth divorce, Thornton began dating Dern in 1997. He then met Jolie on the set of the 1999 film Pushing Tin and secretly married her in 2000, while he was still dating Dern.

“I left our home to work on a movie, and while I was away, my boyfriend got married, and I’ve never heard from him again,” Dern told Talk magazine in 2000, per ABC. “It’s like a sudden death. For no one has there been any closure or clarity.”

Angelina Jolie

Jolie and Thornton’s romance was controversial from the start. After spontaneously tying the knot in Las Vegas, the couple raised eyebrows in 2001 when they started wearing necklaces filled with each other’s blood. Thornton addressed the necklaces — and the public reaction to them — while speaking to students at Loyola Marymount University in 2014.

“We were apart a lot because she’s off making Tomb Raider and I’m making Monster’s Ball. … She thought it would be interesting and romantic if we took a little razorblade and sliced our fingers, smeared a little blood on these lockets. And you wear it around your neck just like you wear your son or daughter’s baby hair in one. Same thing,” he explained. “From that, we were wearing quart jars of blood around our necks. And we were vampires and we lived in a dungeon.”

Thornton and Jolie, who had a 20-year age gap, announced their plans to adopt son Maddox in 2002, but Jolie later finalized the adoption on her own. She and Thornton separated in 2002 and divorced the following year.

“I remember our time together as really being great,” Thornton said of Jolie during a 2018 interview for the “HFPA in Conversation” podcast series. “We just had different lifestyles. Hers is a global lifestyle and mine is an agoraphobic lifestyle. So, that’s really — that’s the only reason we’re probably not still together, maybe, because of a different path in life we wanted to take.”

Angelina Jolie Through the Years: From Movie Vixen to Mom of 6

Thornton later said that he and Jolie remained “good friends” during a 2019 Tribeca TV Festival screening of Goliath.

Connie Angland

Thornton met Angland shortly after he and Jolie divorced. They welcomed daughter Bella in 2004 but didn’t tie the knot until 2014. During a 2015 appearance on The Late Late Show With James Corden, Thornton said that the couple decided to get married largely because of their daughter.

“After a while, it was like, ‘Why aren’t my mommy and daddy married after 12 years?’” he explained. “The reason I didn’t want to [get married initially] is, my marriages were always very short, and I don’t like to try to fix things that aren’t broken. I said, ‘Look, I got a pretty bad record, and things are going fine.’”

While marriage wasn’t so important for him the sixth time around, Thornton has credited Angland with getting him out of a slump when they met on the set of Bad Santa in 2003.

“[Connie’s] sister Carrie was a makeup artist on Bad Santa, and she said, ‘My sister’s gonna visit, and I got a feeling that you’re really gonna like her.’ And, sure enough, I did. And we were together within probably a couple of months maybe. She kind of [dragged] me out of the gutter, which was awesome,’” Thornton said during a November 2024 appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show. “We’ve been together longer than if you totaled up all the other five [marriages], it’s more time.”

The Real Housewives of Orange County star Jennifer Pedranti is speaking out after some fans took issue with her and fiancé Ryan Boyajian bringing their sons to Jason Aldean’s Las Vegas bar for a joint 21st birthday celebration.

Aldean, 47, and his wife, Brittany, have garnered criticism for stating that they don’t believe transgender youth should have access to gender-affirming care, but Pedranti, also 47, urged her followers not to make assumptions about her political views simply because she visited Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Bar.

“Apparently we have a lot of you in an uproar about us taking the boys to Jason Aldean’s bar last night. First I wanna say, just calm down and relax,” Pedranti said in a Sunday, December 29, Instagram video. “You don’t know anything about our political views or how we feel about the gay community, because we have love for all. So, to come on our social media and make all these judgements is comical to say the least.”

Jason and Brittany Aldean’s Relationship Timeline

Pedranti shared photos and videos from the celebrations at the country singer’s establishment earlier on Sunday.

“Happy 21st birthday To Our Boys,” she captioned a post dedicated to her son Harrison, whom she shares with ex-husband Will Pedranti, and Boyajian’s son Cole. The Bravolebrity defended her and Boyajian’s choice of venue in her video statement.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ryan Boyajian (@ryanboyajian)

“We had the best time, we were line dancing with the boys. Their 21st birthday has been magical for them. I grew up in Oklahoma, so country music feeds my soul,” she said. “I would just say: relax, calm down and do better. It’s just a country bar. It’s just Ryan and I with our boys and having fun. We have love for all. We don’t roll like that. Happy Sunday. Do better.”

Jennifer further praised the bar in a separate post.

“@Jasonaldeans is our kind of bar! The food was so yummy, the bands were amazing! We had the BEST time with our boys! If you’re in Vegas and love country!!! GO!!! ,” she captioned a photo of herself and Boyajian.

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The upload sparked backlash from fans who were disappointed to see Jennifer supporting Aldean.

“Yikes never pegged you for hateful but here we are,” one Instagram user commented.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jennifer Pedranti (@jennifer.pedranti)

Another follower chimed in, “Noooo queen! He and his wife are bad and not in the good way!”

Others defended Jennifer.

“Is it possible to have different political views these days and still be cordial?! Or is that gone?!” one person wrote.

Aldean and his wife stirred up controversy in 2022 when Brittany, 36, made comments that some people interpreted as anti-trans.

“I’d really like to thank my parents for not changing my gender when I went through my tomboy phase,” she wrote via Instagram at the time.

The post ignited a public feud with Marren Morris, who reacted via X.

“It’s so easy to, like, not be a scumbag human? Sell your clip-ins and zip it, Insurrection Barbie,” Morris, 34, wrote, referring to the January 6, 2021, attack on the United States Capitol.

How Jennifer Pedranti and Family Adjusted to Living at Ryan Boyajian’s Home

Aldean stuck up for Brittany at the time, calling her “MY Barbie” in an Instagram comment, and has since echoed her beliefs about transgender youth.

“[You can’t] drink a beer until you’re 21, but you can change your … it’s just weird to me,” he said during a September appearance on The Tucker Carlson Show. “I think if somebody wants to do that and they’re old enough to make that decision, hey, it doesn’t affect my life, whatever. But you can’t try to make that normal to everybody.”

Morris isn’t the only celebrity who spoke out against Brittany in August 2022.

“Bravo @MarenMorris. It’s when you selflessly bear another’s burden that you actually reflect gods love. Way to not tolerate disgusting behavior”, Brandi Carlile, who is openly gay, wrote via X at the time.

Jonathan Van Ness, who is nonbinary, also thanked Morris via social media.

“Love to see [allies],” the Queer Eye star wrote.

Paige DeSorbo and Craig Conover have called it quits after three years of dating.

DeSorbo, 32, shared the news during the Monday, December 30, episode of her and Hannah Berner’s “Giggly Squad” podcast.

“Craig and I have decided to no longer be together,” the Summer House star said. “I love him, I think he loves me. I think we will remain friends. No one did anything. It wasn’t a bad thing. I think we both were just being really mature and saying what we want and what we didn’t want, and I think that’s extremely powerful to be able to voice how you’re feeling in real time and what you want for your future.”

Paige DeSorbo and Craig Conover’s Relationship Timeline

DeSorbo added that being in her 30s has been “transformative,” and she has changed “a lot” in recent years but still has “so much love and respect” for Conover, 35.

“I think he is one of the best people I’ve met in my entire life. I will remain the biggest fan for him and want the best for him, and he truly will get the best, because he is the best,” she said. “But, with that said, I think it is the right decision for both of us.”

The announcement comes just weeks after Conover shut down breakup rumors during an interview with E! News.

Meghan McCain Doesn't Think Bravo's Craig Conover, Paige DeSorbo Will Last

“I don’t know where that came from, because we’re together, like, every week,” the Southern Charm star said. “So, no, Paige and I are not broken up. We’re still together.”

The former couple got to know each other while filming season 1 of Winter House in 2021. They confirmed their romance that September while attending the wedding of their fellow Bravolebrities Kyle Cooke and Amanda Batula.

DeSorbo and Conover had a long-distance relationship, with DeSorbo residing in New York City and Conover living in Charleston, South Carolina. Conover shared some insight into how the pair coped with living apart while speaking exclusively to Us Weekly in September.

Paige DeSorbo Reveals She Was Ready to Marry Craig Conover in Las Vegas

“It’s really just not letting the unknown of the future ruin our happiness today. And that was a decision that we had to make, and some people might not be able to do that, and sometimes it does get stressful and tough not being able to have a plan,” he said at the time. “But in reality, we don’t need to right now. With our ability to travel and technology, we’re very fortunate to be able to spend, you know, half our time in New York and the other half in Charleston. And they’re two great places to live. … I think finding the right person is the hard part, and then figuring out the rest will just come in time.”

Conover also praised DeSorbo during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen earlier this month, calling her a “strong, independent, career-driven woman.” He admitted that the duo were taking it day by day and had no plans to get engaged.

“I am happy representing the couple that we are now,” Conover said during the December 12 episode. “I have no idea what’s going on at any point in time. We live for the week instead of obsessing [about] the future.”

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Sara Bareilles performed both old and new songs during three career-spanning shows at The Kennedy Center in September, but she stuck to a tried and true pre-show ritual.

“I always pour a tiny bit of bourbon [before going onstage],” Bareilles, 45, exclusively reveals in her Backstage Pass feature in the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now. “I don’t even really drink it anymore —I’ve just been doing this since I was in my 20s.”

Apart from her boozy tradition, Bareilles likes to “touch in with whoever is going on stage” with her before showtime. For the Kennedy Center shows in Washington, D.C. — which were filmed for PBS’ Next at the Kennedy Center series and will premiere on December 31 — that included special guests Rufus Wainwright, Emily King and David Ryan Harris and composer Nadia DiGiallonardo on the piano.

How Sara Bareilles Is Combatting Body Image Struggles Before Tony Awards

When connecting with her fellow musicians, Bareilles also likes to set an intention for the performance.

“Spiritually, I try to really touch in on this idea that the best shows are when I can stay in the mind state of, ‘It’s not about me,’” Bareilles shares. “Stepping on stage is really not about me — it’s about what we can offer to the audience. On my better nights, I really can get out of my own way.”

Bareilles performed some of the most beloved tunes from her songbook for the PBS special, which is titled Sara Bareilles: New Year’s Eve With the National Symphony Orchestra & Friends. She tells Us that her 2007 song “Gravity” was a “real highlight” of the show.

“I stepped away from the piano for that and just got to sing with the backing of this beautiful orchestra with an incredible arrangement done by Rob Moose,” she recalls.

Bareilles is all about the music, so it comes as no surprise that her list of dressing room essentials is short and simple.

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“Snacks, good lighting and a mirror. Basic stuff. I don’t have a bowl of green M&Ms,” the singer-songwriter jokes. “I don’t really like wasting things. Sometimes you get into a habit of having everything under the sun at your fingertips. I really just want a bottle of bourbon, some water, good lighting and my dog, [Louie].”

Bareilles says that her dog, whom she adopted with fiancé Joe Tippett in 2022, is “truly the most helpful” hack for keeping her “present” and “grounded” before a show. With him by her side, she doesn’t need good luck charms.

“I’m not a superstitious person in that way. I mean, I definitely love talismans and I have tons of meaningful tchotchkes in my life, but I really feel like the thing I carry with me is more of a mindset,” she explains. “I’m trying to cultivate a real mindset and that’s the thing that can move with me into different environments.”

One of the tunes that Bareilles performed during The Kennedy Center shows is “Enough,” a song she wrote for the musical adaptation of Meg Wolitzer’s novel The Interestings, which is currently in the workshop phase.

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“I wrote ‘Enough’ before I had even finished the book,” she tells Us. “I was so moved by the character of Dennis and the themes that were coming up around childhood and growing up and what is enough and when can we be content with what we have?”

Bareilles adds that she felt “so close” to the characters when reading The Interestings, specifically Dennis’ wife, Jules, who has “a hard time letting go” of the “ambition” she had when she was younger.

“It’s something that I wrestle with in my life quite a bit, too,” she shares.

Sara Bareilles: New Year’s Eve With the National Symphony Orchestra & Friends will air on PBS, PBS.org and the PBS app Tuesday, December 31, at 8 p.m. ET.

For more on Bareilles, pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now.

Deadpool was a box office smash, but director Tim Miller didn’t personally reap the benefits of its success.

Miller, 60, who made his directorial debut with the 2016 superhero film, revealed his surprising salary during an interview with Collider published on Tuesday, December 24.

“You guys might not know, but it’s not really a profitable thing to be a first-time director in Hollywood, and I’ll tell you exactly,” the filmmaker shared. “I got $225,000 to direct Deadpool. I know it sounds like a lot of money, but for two years of work, that’s not a ton of money.”

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Miller continued, “Not that I’m not grateful, I’m f—ing grateful, that’s the way it is because you’re supposed to when you’re a first-time director. My agent said, ‘Dude, you make more on an episode of The Walking Dead!’”

Miller’s payment paled in comparison to the more than $782 million the film made at the box office. However, he feels “uniquely fortunate” to be part of the Deadpool franchise, which went on to include 2018’s Deadpool 2 and 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine, directed by David Leitch and Shawn Levy, respectively.

“Then my second thought is, I wish my director deals had a piece of the merchandising so that I could get some money from all of that,” Miller said.

Deadpool star and coproducer Ryan Reynolds didn’t get rich off the 2016 film either.

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“No part of me was thinking when Deadpool was finally greenlit that this would be a success,” Reynolds, 48, told The New York Times in July. “I even let go of getting paid to do the movie just to put it back on the screen. They wouldn’t allow my cowriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick on set, so I took the little salary I had left and paid them to be on set with me so we could form a de facto writers room.”

Reynolds stands by his decision not to get paid, and he thinks Deadpool turned out better for it.

“I think one of the great enemies of creativity is too much time and money, and that movie had neither time nor money,” he said of the film, which had a $58 million budget compared to the $200 million budget of Deadpool & Wolverine. “It really fostered focusing on character over spectacle, which is a little harder to execute in a comic-book movie. I was just so invested in every micro-detail of it and I hadn’t felt like that in a long, long time. I remembered wanting to feel that more — not just on Deadpool, but on anything.”

After directing Deadpool, Miller went on to create the animated anthology series Love, Death & Robots. He also directed 2019’s Terminator: Dark Fate.

Jennifer Lopez enjoyed time with family during her first Christmas since her divorce from Ben Affleck.

Lopez, 55, shared a series of festive photos via Instagram on Wednesday, December 25. In one snap, she posed on a bench next to child Emme, 16, whom she shares with ex-husband Marc Anthony, and niece Lucie, also 16. The trio held warm beverages in their hands, staying cozy in the snowy locale.

Lopez also took a selfie with sister Lynda and shared a photo of Emme and Lucie sitting by a Christmas tree dressed in matching holiday pajamas. In a separate video, Emme and twin brother Max could be seen lounging in a room by a blazing fireplace.

“Merry Christmas Eve to you and yours,” Lopez captioned the clip.

Jennifer Lopez Returns to Social Media After Ben Affleck Split

Lynda, 53, also shared a snap of the picturesque fireplace via her Instagram Story, writing, “Thank you to my sis for the most beautiful Christmas Day … @jlo.”

While Lopez spent Christmas away from Affleck, 52, the pair met up to exchange gifts on Sunday, December 22. In photos obtained by the Daily Mail, Lopez and Affleck reunited at the members-only social club Soho House in West Hollywood. Affleck was seen carrying a black tote bag seemingly filled with presents.

Lopez filed for divorce in August after two years of marriage. In her divorce docs, she listed April 26 as her and Affleck’s date of separation. Although their marriage didn’t work out, Lopez and Affleck have been spotted together on several occasions since their split.

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Earlier this month, Lopez joined Affleck and his ex-wife Jennifer Garner at a youth play. Emme was in the production along with Seraphina, 15, whom Affleck shares with Garner, 52. (Affleck and Garner also share Violet, 19, and Samuel, 12.)

In September, a source exclusively told Us Weekly that Lopez and Affleck experienced “lingering doubts” about whether they were making the right decision by divorcing, especially when considering their blended family.

“There’s still a lot of love between them,” the insider shared, adding that the divorce is “going forward” nonetheless. “When they’re together as a family and see the kids together, it reminds them of how good they are as a team and what’s important.”

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A second source shared that Lopez and Affleck “know they will be in each other’s lives because of the kids and are remaining friendly.”

Lopez and Affleck have a long history together. They initially got engaged in 2002 but called off the wedding in 2004. After their respective divorces from Anthony, 56, and Garner, they rekindled their romance in 2021. However, it eventually became clear that they weren’t meant to be, a source exclusively told Us in August.

“It was more and more apparent they weren’t a good match,” the insider explained. “It boiled down to [the fact that] they are two different people. … She came to the realization things weren’t going to change and they were incompatible. Spending time apart — it became obvious it wouldn’t work.”

Kansas City Chiefs Wide Receiver Justin Watson has three Super Bowl rings to his name, but his personal life with wife Erica Watson is just as rewarding.

“Prioritizing family is my top priority. It’s irreplaceable. If my football career ended tomorrow, I’d still have Erica and [our son] Zion, the two most important people on earth to me,” Justin wrote in an essay for All Pro Dad published in September 2024.

Justin and Erica tied the knot in June 2022 and welcomed Zion in April 2023. The couple announced in November 2024 that they are expecting their second baby. Just as Justin carves out time for his family, Erica makes it a point to support her husband’s football career. She regularly shares photos of herself attending Chiefs games.

Keep scrolling for a look at Justin and Erica’s love story over the years:

July 2021

Justin made his first appearance on Erica’s Instagram page.

“Heaven sent ,” Erica captioned a photo of the pair sitting side by side while out to eat.

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December 2021

Erica shared an Instagram photo of the twosome all dolled up for an event.

March 2022

“I Have Found The One Whom my Soul Loves ,” Erica captioned an Instagram photo of Justin down on one knee proposing to her.

The engagement news came one month after Justin signed with the Chiefs after previously playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

June 2022

The couple tied the knot on June 4. Later that month, Erica shared snaps of her and Justin riding an ATV on the beach in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

“Honeymooning,” she wrote in the caption.

October 2022

Justin shared snaps from the duo’s sex reveal celebration for their first baby.

“Annnd … It’s a BOY NEVER A DOUBT! ,” he wrote alongside photos of him and Erica posing in front of a blue smoke bomb.

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April 2023

Justin and Erica welcomed their first baby, son Zion.

“Zion Lee Watson. 04/12/2023,” Erica captioned a photo of the new arrival.

June 2023

Justin commemorated his and Erica’s first wedding anniversary.

“I CANNOT BELIEVE I’VE BEEN MARRIED TO THIS AMAZING WOMAN FOR A YEAR! So thankful for you and a year full of joy ,” he wrote via Instagram.

October 2023

“Big Jwat fan,” Erica captioned an Instagram photo of herself and Justin on the field at a Chiefs game.

February 2024

Erica celebrated the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVIII win, marking Justin’s third time being an NFL champion. He previously won with the Buccaneers in 2021 and the Chiefs in 2023.

“3X,” Erica captioned a photo of herself and Justin smiling on the field at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada.

April 2024

Justin shared birthday wishes for Erica via Instagram.

“You light up my life and I’m forever grateful for you. Happy birthday to my beautiful wife, I love you! ,” he wrote alongside several photos of Erica, including snaps of her and Zion.

Jason Kelce and Pregnant Wife Kylie Kelce's Relationship Timeline

June 2024

Justin and Erica got dressed up to attend the Chiefs’ Super Bowl ring ceremony in Kansas City, Missouri.

“Celebrating ring #3 with my #1 ,” Justin wrote via Instagram alongside a picture of him and Erica on the red carpet.

November 2024

Erica shared an Instagram video of her cutting a cake that read, “Baby Watson May 2025.” The cake’s pink interior revealed that she and Justin are expecting a baby girl.

December 2024

Erica and Zion cheered on Justin at the Chiefs’ game against the Cleveland Browns.

“Cleveland, Ohio,” she captioned Instagram photos of Justin holding Zion and kissing her on the sidelines.

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